Open AccessPesticide Poisoning Among Children in India: The Need for an Urgent Solution
Author(s) -
Prinston Varghese,
Timothy Erickson
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
global pediatric health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.354
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 2333-794X
DOI - 10.1177/2333794x221086577
Subject(s) - medicine , harm , pesticide , environmental health , poison control , ingestion , injury prevention , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , medical emergency , population , accidental , accidental poisoning , human factors and ergonomics , toxicology , pathology , political science , agronomy , physics , acoustics , law , biology , endocrinology
Pesticides have been increasingly recognized as a significant source of morbidity and mortality, especially in the developing world. In particular, significant attention has been given to the use of pesticides to cause deliberate self-harm in India. Approximately half of suicides in India are due to intentional poisoning of which the majority are from pesticides. Young children are commonly poisoned by accidental ingestion, unintentional dermal or inhalational exposure, whereas adolescents are more severely poisoned if attempting self-harm through intentional ingestion. It is the purpose of this paper to highlight the problem of pesticide poisoning in the pediatric population of India, and to recommend policy options to address this global problem. Reducing access to pesticides and educating farmers and the public regarding the proper storage and use of pesticides and the establishment of more poison centers in India can be part of a broader strategy to address these life-threatening poisonings in children.